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Swiss Bishop Remains Faithful to Traditional Teaching on Marriage in His Own Guidelines

Image: Werdenberg, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland

In the wake of an indisputably liberalizing Pastoral Letter on Marriage and the Family as published by the German Bishops two days ago, there comes now to us a more encouraging event from the neighboring country of Switzerland. One Swiss Bishop now publicly defends the traditional Catholic teaching on marriage.

Bishop Vitus Huonder of Chur, Grisons, issued yesterday, 2 February, a fairly short set of pastoral-doctrinal guidelines for the priests of his own diocese as his specific commentary on the post-synodal exhortation, Amoris Laetitia. After some introductory remarks concerning the papal document, Bishop Huonder himself stresses the importance of the marriage bond – which, he insists, is to be regarded as holy. Indeed, the bishop explains, the Church has a duty to “teach the holiness of the marriage bond.” Huonder further defines the concept of marriage by saying:

The bond of marriage itself is a gift of the love, of the wisdom, and of the mercy of God which gives the spouses Grace and aid. That is why the reference to the marriage bond has to take a prior and emphatic place in any path of accompaniment, discernment and integration.

With the holiness of the marriage bond in mind, the Swiss bishop forthrightly addresses the currently important question of the “remarried” divorcees and their possible access to the Sacraments. He declares that these couples may not decide for themselves as to whether they may receive Holy Communion; and he says that they may only do so if they are living – according to Familiaris Consortio 84 – as brother and sister. He specifically says, as follows:

The reception of Holy Communion on the side of civilly remarried divorcees may not be left up to the subjective decision. One has to be rooted in objective conditions (according to the Church’s rules concerning the reception of Holy Communion). With regard to the civilly remarried divorcees, the respect for the already existing marriage bond is decisive. If, during a conversation (in confession) someone requests absolution for a civilly remarried and divorced person, it has to be clear that this person is ready to accept the precepts of Familiaris Consortio 84 (John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, 12 November 1981). That is to say: should the two partners, for serious reasons, … not be able to follow the obligation to separate (see AL 298), they are obliged to live as brother and sister. This rule is still valid – already because the new Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia does not explicitly foresee any “new canonical rule” (see AL 300). The penitent will have to show the firm will to want to live with a respect for the marriage bond of the “first” marriage. [my emphasis]

As a helpful reference for further pertinent information, Bishop Huonder then names an Italian book soon to be published also in German by the publishing house Fe-Medienverlag; this book is co-authored by Professor Stephan Kampowski. This philosopher – who teaches at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Rome – has repeatedly expressed in public his polite criticism of the idea of weakening the Sacrament of Marriage and its indissolubility in the context of discussions about Amoris Laetitia. Kampowski also wrote the book The Gospel of The Family: Going Beyond Cardinal Kasper’s Proposal in the Debate on Marriage, Civil Re-Marriage, and Communion in the Church (Ignatius Press, 2014). Moreover, in the December 2016 issue (52/2016) of the Swiss journal Schweizerische Kirchen-Zeitung, Kampowski wrote, once again, an article about Amoris Laetitia in which he argues that, since marriage is in itself a public matter, those “remarried” divorcees may not receive Holy Communion since, “by their state in life, that is to say by continuously violating their own marriage vows,” they are objectively in opposition to what the Church teaches. Thus, he argues, the discussions about the internal state of sanctifying grace – or the lack of it – is not an initial, crucial aspect with regard to marriage, since marriage itself is always a public entity. Therefore, the weight of the subjective conscience has its own limits here. “The reception of Holy Communion is not a private matter,” explains the philosopher, and Kampowski then adds:

The contradiction between one’s state in life [i.e., adultery] and the Eucharist as the mystery of Christ’s absolute loyalty to His Church is objective. Simply to remove this contradiction without giving those [“remarried”] persons the perspective [sic] of a change of their own state in life would mean to cut any bond between life and liturgy, between ethos and Sacrament. This in turn would mean to put into question the sacramentality of marriage and, finally, even the sacramental structure of the Church.

Thus it seems that, by referencing in his new guidelines a book co-authored by Professor Kampowski, Bishop Huonder is quite aware of the current dangers that threaten the holiness of marriage. Bishop Huonder is thus to be commended for his courage and for his love of the truth which are both manifested in his own guidelines. Moreover, he does so amidst an atmosphere in Switzerland – as well as in the neighboring German-speaking countries of Germany and Austria – that is hostilely permeated by progressive ideas and attitudes. Therefore, he will most likely receive much criticism from his fellow countrymen for his new set of guidelines, just as he has had to endure it many a time in the recent past. May God grant him strength, once again.

58 thoughts on “Swiss Bishop Remains Faithful to Traditional Teaching on Marriage in His Own Guidelines”

    • Living in the Diocese of Boise, Archbishop Sample is our Metropolitan. He was in our parish last year for Confirmation in accord with the 1962 Missal, and celebrated a Solemn High Mass with us. God protect him from the wolves!

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      • True, but let’s not forget that Sample is of the “AL is wholly orthodox” group, like our Bishop Christensen. That is not entirely confidence-inspiring.

        I sent a letter a couple weeks ago asking Christensen if he stood with the Kazakh prelates in their powerful analysis of the issues at stake, and to date I have received no response.

        Possibly for our sailor Bishop the winds are still shifting enough to preclude a good tack…..

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  1. One bright light in Switzerland, but the schism is undeniable. Poland versus Germany. Milan versus Malta. Portland versus San Diego. My own diocese in England versus Argentina. Plainly this cannot go on for long, especially where the discipline and doctrine change in a few seconds by crossing a border.

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    • The Pope has already celebrated the possibility of regional and diocesan diversity. His silence as the Church is being torn apart demonstrates to what level he deems such disunity to be acceptable.

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      • This is an interesting point. We are waiting for Francis to see the error of his ways, as pointed out half a dozen times already – when all along he thinks the ‘diversity’ we deplore is great.

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      • We have no right to be surprised about this chaos. In 2013, in Evangelii Gaudium, Para 32, Francis aired the possibility of doctrinal diversity between different Bishops’ Conferences. The fact that this freedom would mean the end of the Catholic Church seems to have excited very little comment, though Cardinal Muller commented adversely on the proposal at the time.

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        • There were indeed very few negative or questioning remarks at the time. He has not been secretive at all in his affinity for 1} Lutheran theology 2} Orthodox {AKA “Synodal Church”} polity.

          The lesson the Catholic Church needs to take from all of this is to “pay attention to Mein Kampf”. That is, when a man puts in writing stuff that just doesn’t sound right…TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. This is also the lesson of tjhe documents of Vatican 2. They SHOULD have been amended or received definitive interpretations complete with anathemas. Yet…

          The one that did it for me was Bergoglio’s replacement of God with Man in his misquote of Jesus in paragraph 161 of Evangelii Gaudium. That one, left alone to stand on the Vatican website to this day, is simply horrific, and seemingly good fodder for any Protestant who wants to condemn the Catholic Church as a tool of Satan. I hope for the condemnation of this and other statements and writings of Bergoglio in the future.

          By the time Bergoglio got around to setting up his “Chocolate Luther” Abomination of Desolation in the Temple, it was hard to even be surprised.

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      • Portsmouth, in the south of the country. Admittedly, it was my own PP who earnestly assured us that Amoris Laetitiae changed nothing and it proved the Pope was a Catholic, etc. How far is traditional Catholic moral teaching actually applied in local parishes? Well, that’s another story, seeing that publicly known adulterers are admitted to Communion….

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        • Thought it might be Portsmouth or alternatively Shrewsbury.

          All other Bishops are either liberals or administrators or both.

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  2. It seems fairly evident now, doesn’t it, that what we see playing out with the bishops with regard to Amoris Laetitia is what the Third Secret of Fatima was talking about in connection with “…in Portugal, the dogma of the faith will always be preserved etc.”. Especially in light of Lucia’s statement that “the final battle between God and Satan will be over marriage and family”. Heavy stuff.

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  3. Kampowski’s points are so essential but so ignored. In the hypothetical world in which the “remarried” receive the Eucharist publicly you will never be able to erase the cognitive dissonance that arises when you see a public manifestation of infidelity boldly approach and receive the perfect public manifestation of fidelity.

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  4. When in the course of Spiritual Events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the spiritual bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers which flow from Heaven, the evident and unchanging Faith to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s Creator entitle them, a decent respect for the Truth revealed by the Blessed Trinity requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

    We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are fidelity to the unchanging teachings of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, defense of the Sacraments and the pursuit of Holiness…..

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      • Bishop Vitus Huonder. He’s endured constant attacks over the years for nothing more than being a faithful prelate. He’s also done a tremendous amount for the TLM community in his diocese. He’ll have to retire soon, and the chances are very good that he’ll be replaced with an ultra-liberal. Pray for us.

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        • Hopefully Archbishop Gullickson the Nuncio will replace him when he retires with another Catholic and not the liberal Ant Catholic Bishop’s who pretend to be Catholic

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      • My opinion of him is not very good. When Bishop Vitus raised the ire of the liberal media for demonstrating that the Bible condemns homosexuality, Bishop Morerod went straight to the press in order to assure them that Bishop Huonder does not speak for the Church.

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        • Yes, I feel the same way as you, I am not impressed, I live in Switzerland and I would like to get to know other Catholics who would be interested in doing something about the blatant corruption in the Catholic Church leadership in Switzerland, Do you know any groups or Swiss websites

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          • I attend the FSSP parish in Zürich. Una Voce is still around, as far as I know, but I haven’t heard much from them in recent years. There is also an SSPX parish not too far away. That’s it, to the best of my knowledge. Everyone I know is busy preparing for persecution, as the future prospects for the faithful here look fairly grim.

            What part of CH are you in?

          • We are in the canton of Fribourg, on the lake of Murten, we go to our local parish but they are somewhat disrespectful of church liturgy, (lay people who are openly against the Magisterium are allowed to give the sermons etc.) I was asked to leave the pastoral group ( by the two priests and the female President of the pastoral group) because I spoke about our obligation to go to Mass on a Sunday as indicated in our Catechism. They said my comments were unwelcome to others. What I don’t like is allowing anti catholics ( thats what they are) to run my local parish. My children go to school here and they mix with the kids in this area, our parish should support our Catholic Faith. I would like to be able to fight this, and not simply “prepare to be persecuted”. We have already started by inviting our Parish priest to pray the Rosary with us at our home, which he has done, and we hope and expect change. We have also gone to Fribourg to the Latin Mass (FSSP) and although this is far more respectful and dignified I do believe that it is somehow my duty to work for change in my Parish. BUT, I need the tools and the support from the wider Catholic Community. If enough Faithful Catholics started attending my Parish we could vote in change, we could change the people who are running the pastoral groups and the committee’s, effectively we could vote them out. We could also demand that we have Catholic Catechists who respect the church teaching, at the moment I am a lone voice in my Parish,” the unwelcome voice” because I talk about obedience and respect for the Magisterium and the teachings of the church. Our priests think Pope Francis is great, all false mercy, they want a “no rules” type of church. I would like this to change, and I do believe it is possible. If I can find other faithful Catholics to group together, we can work as a team and target parishes and then demand at the pastoral meetings that the people who are on the committees are Catholics. Get them voted in and then move onto the next Parish. as we do so we will strengthen our network. The problem we have today is that we are dotted around Switzerland trying to do our bit, we are not a united force. BUT if we we would unite and target specific parishes and replace the Anti Catholics with Catholics we would step by step take back our parishes one parish at a time. I would like to be part of a Swiss Church Militia that worked towards this, one parish at a time. I am quit happy to to discuss this with a team and then target my parish here in order to establish our first victory. Lets group together and start taking back the parishes from the Anti Catholics who are running them at the moment. God Bless Paul

          • Sorry if I sound somewhat defeatist. It’s just that I’ve already been through the five stages of grief over this with regard to my own diocesan parish. My ordinary parish is less than 2 minutes by foot from my front door, and for years I found myself in exactly the same position as you describe. I was able to get a few old ladies to pray the rosary in the crypt before Mass, but otherwise my efforts amounted to nothing. The priest remained adamant about giving Holy Communion to public adulterers (this was long before the Amoris Laetitia fiasco) and active homosexuals. I’m fairly certain the priest was himself homosexual. Absolutely no regard for the Catechism. The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was the introduction of a female ‘pastoral assistant’ who does literally everything at Mass except speak the words of consecration.

            I don’t know how it works in the French part, but here it is impossible for traditional Catholics to band together and target a parish. The first thing the parish priest will do is ask where everyone lives and whether they have a right to be at that parish and speak at parish meetings. In other words, if the people in your group do not live in that precinct, you will get shut down before you even get started.

            That’s why the FSSP and/or the SSPX is the only realistic option for us here. Bishop Huonder created two Personal Parishes for the FSSP back in 2012 which allows us to effectively leave the regular jurisdiction of our diocesan parishes. It’s the only way to practice the traditional faith here.

          • I have seen the same thing in Bern, same women dressed up as priest preaching her homily ( while silently screaming her disobedience and disrespect ) , we also have the same thing in our parish, I complained when I saw it and have presented all the relevant documentation to inform them that it is an abuse, they don’t care, they want a church without any rules,( just a church of mercy, that is to say false mercy). I wish you all the best, I will remember you in my rosary today, take are and keep the faith, God bless Paul Bays

  5. This is a very good statment, everyone make sure you pray for Bishop Vitus Huonder, no doubt their are people working to try and have him removed, no doubt fellow bishops…

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  6. Well it’s about time we had one besides Chaput who had Catholic guidelines in place… It would be nice if all these bishops would simply forgot AL happened because it ISN’T magisterial as Cardinal Burke said so long ago, and were just the senile ravings of an old man.

    Is that statement uncharitable? I don’t even know anymore.

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    • Well. if he would be a young man, you may most likely call him an inexperienced greenhorn (or his utterances as nonsensical blahblahblah of a young man) instead of qualifying him as producing “the senile ravings of an old man.” You might be of course right, considering his age. But perhaps you move on a slippery slope. Remember the students of 1968 in Germany, with Rudi Dutschke and other luminaries of the progressive youths: don’t believe anyone over 30 ???! Oh dear…

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  7. Mary:
    About 20 years ago my husband and I were driving through Europe. We happened to be passing thorough Chur, Switzerland on a Sunday and wanted to go to Mass in the Cathedral. This we were not allowed to do! A protest was going on and the protesters blocked all of the entrances to the church. No one was allowed inside for Sunday Mass. Their grievance? The Church’s stand on women’s ordination. Thank God for Bishop Hounder! One can only imagine the opposition he will be experiencing now.

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  8. This is great stuff.

    As many of us have been saying for a while now, the divisions and chaos bred by Pope Francis will have the result in sifting the Church and demonstrating just who stand with Jesus and who doesn’t.

    Glad to know there is a Swiss Bishop who is willing to stand with Jesus.

    Now…will he FIGHT for this doctrine? Or if push comes to shove, will he play “neutral”?

    Let’s pray he remains solid and encourages others to do the same.

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  9. One bishop….yes, only one bishop was faithful in England under the despot Henry VIII and we know him as St. John Fisher and he died as a witness to the Truth. Guess things have not changed much; not enough faithful bishops still.

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  10. Last night at the Vigil mass here the prayers of the Faithful (or should I say Faithless) included acceptance of those in “verschiedene Lebenssituationen” (alternative Lifestyles). I nearly got sick on the spot.
    May God strike the apostate German Church with financial ruin for their wickedness.

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